The present invention generally relates to a walking beam system, a tire system and a method for using the walking beam system and the tire system. The walking beam system and the tire system may be attached to an earthmoving scraping device and may allow the earthmoving scraping device to travel over various types of surfaces. The walking beam system, the tire system, and the method for using the walking beam system and the tire system may have a central beam, one or more axles, and two forks having bearings. The central beam may transversely support a load of the earthmoving scraping device. One or more tires may be attached to the axles of the central beam. As a result, the walking beam system may provide stability, may allow the attached earthmoving scraping device to smoothly travel over irregularities in a road, and/or may provide increased ground clearance.
The walking beam system, the tire system and the method for using the walking beam system and tire system may include a rim to which is mounted a plurality of tire segments, each tire segment including a mounting plate and at least one track. The rim may attach to multiple tire segments via the mounting plates, wherein each mounting plate is separated from adjacent mounting plates by a distance. The tire segments may contain one or more tracks which may be connected, mounted, and/or laminated to the mounting plates. The tire segments may be removably attached to the rim, and the rubber tracks may be removably attached to the mounting plates. Each tire segment may be removed and replaced upon being damaged. As a result, quick and/or efficient removal of damaged tires and minimized costs associated with fixing a damaged tire as well as work delay associated with fixing the damaged tire may result.
Earthmoving generally involves breaking up the soil of the construction area. The soil may be used in the existing project and/or hauled away to a remote site. Like other construction projects, highway construction often requires an earthmoving step. To ensure safe and smooth roads, soil must be broken down and removed before paving of a roadway begins.
Highway systems are vital parts of any economy. Highways allow goods to be transported across the country and around the world. Furthermore, the travel of cars, trucks and other vehicles provides economic stimulus to areas they pass through. Given such importance, building roads and maintaining existing ones is undertaken by national governments and local municipalities throughout the world.
Removal of earth materials is performed by several different machines with the decision regarding use of specific machinery determined by the type of project. Several factors to be considered are the type of material to be removed, removal distance and the ultimate plans for the materials. Choosing the proper machine factors significantly into the final costs of the project. Using the wrong equipment for a project results in delays that lead to inefficient expenditure of labor and/or money. As a result, the process of removing earth materials may result in an economic burden to the overall cost of the project. Therefore, construction projects require use of the proper equipment as well as efficient and successful performance of the equipment.
Typically, earthmoving equipment, such as scrapers, may carry large volumes of materials. Scrapers may be towed or self-propelled. One such scraper has a frame shaped like a bowl and a lip that serves as a wall to prevent soil or other materials from leaving the bowl. To aid in removal and containment of materials, the lip may be attached to a cylinder which raises or lowers the lip. A blade is attached near the bottom of the bowl and below the lip. As the scraper is moved across an area of soil to be broken, the blade of the scraper may press into the soil, and the soil may be collected within the bowl. The lip is lowered to prevent the material from exiting the bowl during transport of the bowl to another area. After the soil is transported to a desired location, the collected material may be deposited by raising the lip to provide an open area to allow removal of the material from the scraper.
Many different types of scrapers have been built, including pull-scrapers, motor scrapers, twin-engine scrapers, paddle wheel scrapers, and auger scrapers. Transportation of the loads of these scrapers has always been subject to inefficient delays because many models include rudimentary tire systems that allow road irregularities to impede travel. In addition, commonly known tire systems are prone to damage that necessitates repair before further scraper use. As a result, a need exists for a scraper that also has more efficient and/or consistent scraper operation.
Many scrapers have areas that become worn and are costly for the user to maintain and/or to repair. One of these areas is the axle and tire area. Due to the rough terrain and heavy loads carried by the scraper, the tires and the axles may be subject to extensive wear. Sunken tracks or grooves in the road may form as construction machines travel along unpaved roads. The sunken tracks may inflict tire or axle damage or cause scrapers to get stuck in the channels. It may be difficult to remove the heavy, material-filled scrapers after the same becomes stuck. A stuck scraper may cause efficiency problems because the project is delayed, and construction ceases until the scraper is unloaded and freed from the rut. Furthermore, the unevenness of the roads causes these machines to vibrate. Vibration causes greater stress on the roadways, which further exacerbates the formation of road grooves. Vibration transmitted through rigid tire systems stresses the frame of the machinery which increases the likelihood of structural damage that necessitates repair.
Grooves or channels formed in the roads often results in lower productivity as tire damage becomes a greater possibility. Uneven roads and the channels that form as a result cause cuts, punctures, snags, tears, or complete tire blowouts. Flat or damaged tires can hinder completing a project within budget, particularly if tire damage occurs frequently or at a remote distance construction site.
Therefore, tire selection and maintenance plays an important role because productivity and/or payload unit costs depend on reliable and cost effective performance. Furthermore, improper tire inflation places additional stress on the tire system of the machine, resulting in tire damage. Since large scraper tires are difficult to replace, damaged tires may slow down the progress of any project that may result in project stoppage until a new tire is found or a new machine is secured. In either case, damaged tires often result in slowed work that increases the likelihood of cost over-runs.
The type of topography and/or soil scraped affects the overall performance of scrapers. Scrapers are inefficient in moist, rough, and/or rocky terrain. Rough terrain and bad weather may further strain the tires of the scraper and/or may require additional maintenance. When scraping earth materials in those environments, scrapers often need help from other machines to make full contact with the ground. Furthermore, certain topography and grades of land do not allow for efficient use of the scraper that causes problems related to clearance issues.
A need, therefore, exists for a walking beam system, a tire system and a method for using the walking beam system and the tire system that allow earthmoving equipment to function in a reliable and/or efficient manner in collection and/or removal of materials.